On top of the world

By Sunita Raghu

57 years after it was first conquered in 1953, climbing the Everest is still an achievement - an achievement that every mountaineer dreams of accomplishing. Sandhosh Kumar, the 27-year-old from Chennai, made his country and state proud by successfully scaling the loftiest of peaks and putting Tamil on top of the world, literally. "Tamil Vazhaga", said the banner which he implanted there. Also, extra brownie points to Sandhosh for becoming the first Chennaiite to scale the Everest. Media Voice speaks to Sandhosh about his grand adventure, his troubles and travails and how he finally succeeded in his mission.

Q: So, tell us, what were the thoughts coursing through your mind as you first stepped onto Mount Everest?

A: The first thought was actually that of disbelief. We just could not believe we had made it. It had taken us 55 days in all to reach the summit. It was an exhilarating feeling although we had no energy to even move (smiles)…

Q: After submitting Everest, there was a little tug-ofwar in the media regarding the place you hail from: so are you Chennai's son or Puducherry's?

A: I was born in Puducherry though have lived for the most part in Chennai. I like Pondy though Chennai is close to my heart as my closest friends are from here.

Q: How does it feel to join the club of "firsts"?

A: Being the first Chennaite to scale the peak certainly feels great. Perhaps, it could spur others to do what I did.

Q: What made you take up mountaineering?

A: I have been an adventure buff all my life although my interest towards mountaineering was sparked off when I attempted to climb Mt Rinjani, near Bali, Indonesia. I was disappointed that I could not reach the summit and then I realised that to be a mountaineer, fitness of exacting standards was required.

Initially, I could barely run even 2 km. Then I began training in earnest and soon scaled the Mount Kilimanjaro peak in Africa. Here, knowledge of technical climbing was required. Most importantly, I learnt that climbing any snow-capped peak presents a challenge.

Q: So, then you kept at it?

A: Yes. I quit my job in Singapore last year where I worked as an investment banker to take up a 10-day training course which included climbing Mount Blanc in Europe. It was really engaging and it provided a different experience - vertical climbing with ice axes, wearing crampons, etc.

Q: When did you decide that you wanted to scale the world's highest peak?

A: After scaling Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world in August 2009, I decided that it was a good idea to attempt scaling peaks above 8000 metres. And that was when the desire to scale the world's highest peak was born.

Q: Tell us, how you prepared for the task?

A: Firstly, I had to increase my physical stamina and hence did a lot of running, cycling, climbing staircases and the like. I trained in this manner every week for 15 hours. Secondly, (smiles), I had to run around quite a bit looking for sponsors as climbing the Everest requires 55,000 dollars. The latter took up most of my time.

Q: Were there any scary moments during your trip up to the summit?

A: There were many but the scariest was when we were stuck at one of the base camps and our oxygen supply was low. So, we had to use it very carefully. Also, I fell sick and had realised I was finding it difficult to swallow.At that point I realised that I might not make it to the peak as I could not keep up with the rest of the crew.

Q: Did thoughts of failure cross your mind?

A: Yes, it did. One bad day is all it takes for your hard work (had taken him 55 days to reach the top) to go down the drain. I even sent up a prayer (smiles)…

Q: Personal ambition apart, through this climb, we understand you want to bring about awareness regarding child sexual abuse.

A: Yes, through this climb, I wanted to create awareness regarding child sexual abuse which is prevalent everywhere but gets seldom spoken about. And through my website www. millionpledges.com I am furthering the cause.A: Yes, it did. One bad day is all it takes for your hard work (had taken him 55 days to reach the top) to go down the drain. I even sent up a prayer (smiles)…